Iconic Folk Singer and Activist Pete Seeger Dies Aged 94
Folk music legend was a huge influence on Dylan and Springsteen.
Influential American folk singer and political activist Pete Seeger has died at the age of 94. Seeger was closely involved in the civil rights movements in the 60s and acted as a mentor to Bob Dylan. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1996.
Many in the music community have paid tribute to the US folk musician online today. Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello posted this:
> RIP Pete Seeger. Absolutely the best that humans can aspire to be. A courageous, kind, fearless soul. At his 90th: http://t.co/Gqh5fsfOrm” > > — Tom Morello (@tmorello) January 28, 2014
Seeger was a huge influence on many musicians throughout his life, most notably Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The Boss was so enamoured of Seeger’s work that he recorded a whole album of folk songs, made popular by Seeger, in 2006 entitled We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.
When Seeger's 90th birthday was celebrated, Bruce Springsteen hailed him as "a living archive of America’s music and conscience, a testament of the power of song and culture to nudge history along.”
You can watch a video of Springsteen playing We Shall Overcome live below: